Yesterday, The plan was to call in a bird for my buddy off our back clearcut. There has been a big bird working that area.
For some reason, wether it be where we parked or the path we took to get to the bird, or whatever excuse an old bird uses, he did not co-operate. We could hear one sounding off on the next clear cut so we headed south. When we got there he was quiet. This was the way it went for the next 3 clear cuts too. Finally we got on a bird that seemed to be vocal enough to work.
We set up on him across the clear cut from him, around 400yds. We leaned on a log pile to break up our outline. After a few minutes, we realized he would rather us come to him than he to us. We decided that by using the log pile he was behind, we could and would close the distance to within 100 yds.
With minimal noise, we had set up in a good position to close the deal. Now we had not one but three birds in different directions gobbling strong and often. We stayed very aggressive on the box and slate calls. The three birds continued to gobble at each yelp sequence, although they were not closing the distance. We decided a move closer would put A tom in the bag.
We edged up to a log pile using it to hide our outline from the three toms. There was a gap in cover about 20 yds wide we would have to cross to get to our desired location. I peeked through a bush to see if there were any eyes that could see us scurring across the open ground. Just as I eased up to a standing position to look through the bush, there was a close gobble from less than 50 yds straight through the bush.
Most of the ground ahead is open ground, but I could not see the strutting tom. There are knee high pine tree rows that was hiding the big boy from me. I saw a blue spot that stood out in one of thoes pines and was able to make out the rest of his fan. I motioned for my partner to ease around the bush and get into shooting position. As I looked back in the toms direction, somthing caught my eye to my right. It was a big tom that had slipped in to steal this hen. It took us totally off guard. Somehow he had not seen us yet but I did not want to give him a chance to pick us out. My partner rolled him up from around 40 yds.
Looking back, we walked over 2 miles from the truck sep up at 5 different locations, and I left somthing at 4 of them. I had to pick up my mouthcalls from one, my jake from another, my chair form the next and my themacell from the last.
this is a cool video from last year. I just started puting all my videos on line. here is one from last year. Ill give you a little background to it.
we intended to set up in this field with thoughts of just waiting the turkeys out. We set up on an oak tree in the middle of the field. When the gobbling started we were pleasantly surprised to hear a close gobble from the field edge. Upon fly down, we were coverd up. We quickly realized how little cover we had.
A few hens and jakes trickled out of the woods edge while big boy sliped out into the field a little further down.
The jakes almost tripped over our boots on there way to the decoy. They saw somthing they did not like about our hen and decided to go back the way they came. we decided to take out boss hawg before he sided with them. I did not know my partner had a modified choke in, but it still did the deed.
Its funny, when I sat on the end of the bed this morning, I was hoping to kill a bird.
This morning they started off very vocal. To my south about 500 yds there are 4 or 5 birds that gobbled around 35 times all together. The bird I intended to set up on and call in only gobbled 3 or 4 times. Every time he gobbled a hen would cut him off. I cut her off trying to get her fired up but I dont think she was worried about me. Meanwhile, The closest bird to the north, a good 500 yds, stopped gobbling after my attempt to rile up the ladies. I know Im no hen but I still fancy myself a pretty good caller. So I could not figure why he would shut up on the roost. I was not all that troubled by it because I was actually after the haus daddy sitting in the live oak less than 70 yds to my east. The only problem was he seemed to be very occupied on his little perch.
With this recent rain there are puddles covering the logging roads. And they make a very distinctive splashing sound when a turkey runs wide open through them. I could not believe mr tite lips from the north was comming in hot. He voiced his dominance from 15 yds and it was enough to send my craneing neck into turtle mode. out of dumb, excitement I let out a few squeky yelps that he didnt care for too much and he through on the brakes. He was now on full caution and eased around the edge of the log pile to see what I was. He was now at 10 yds and he realized as he saw my wide eyes looking back at him that he had made his last mistake. He took it like a turkey should, Heavy and hard! His head slammed into the dirt as the 2 ounces of copper platted lead attacked the back of his neck.
All was done. My season is through. I had shot A big gobbler 11.375 beard and 1.25 spurs and plenty of attitude to boot. Yet It still seems bitter sweet. It was way too quick ,but I had three great encounters with three nice gobblers. I am extatic about my season, But still saddend by the thought of there being 346 days until I get to chase the thunder chicken again.
This morning started pretty slow. I was sitting ona club road where I had seen a lot of sign. There were lots of strut marks here but, the only birds I could here were way off. I got up to move so I could ease up on one of the birds gobbling in the distance. Before I struck off towards one I wanted to make sure wich one was closer. I hit my mouth call one good time and a bird to my right at 3-4 hundered yds off cut me off. I decided that was the bird I was after. I walked in that direction about 10 ds and wanted to hear him again to make certain of his direction. Again he cut me off but this time it was at probably 200 yds. i wet through one more series, again he cut me off this time he was close enough to send me diving in the bushes right beside me. after settting up the seconds slowly passed. i started to wander if I had spooked him. I listened hard. nothing. Should I hit the mouth call again? no just wait! he will come. am I hid enough? not relly. stop breathing so hard. He will see you dang fat stomache moving. I hear somthing. I think its him.
fsst.,hummm........fsst.,hummm........fsst.,hummm........fsst.,hummm........There he is. hello mr thundr chicken. he is looking for his sweetie. ive got somthing for you right here. he edges closer. He lets out this deep throughty nasty gobbble that seems to come from 100 yds away and 5 yds at the same time. I cant help from flenching b/c the gobble from 5 yds out was enough to blow my hair back. He is in full strut, the sun by now is peeking through the trees and hitting his fan perfectly. Hes gorgeous. nice flopping beard good looking spurs yeah I thnk Ill take him. quick get a bead on him, there we go seeze it...... boom!!! flop. flop, flop! man is that ever an adreniline rush.
we had 5 or 6 come in this morning we managed to wack these two sophmore birds. this was my buddies first hunt. We slipped in early, the clouds helped us get in close this morning. We were less than 75 yds from them on the roost got their attention with the cody's slate purr and cluck. They gobbled a few times and they flew down practicly ontop of us. These birds probably took less than 10 steps this morning before they had a terrible case of migranes. This guy is really spoiled. He thinks its this easy every time. looks like another addiction started. I feel like Ive just passed the crack pipe to a newbie. I like being a dealer!!!
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